The key issue facing the next generation of global leaders will be the need to find pragmatic and realistic improvements in the way we produce and consume energy to address the transnational threat of climate change. This challenge will impact every strand of policy from public health to national security, and has equally important ramifications for all nations and constituencies. To make progress, decision makers must engage the emerging generation of leaders in the United States, Europe, and beyond - to plant the seeds of collaborative enterprise. To this end, The Atlantic Council of the United States (ACUS) is developing a dynamic young leadership network to bring all major stakeholders into the fold, which will serve as a clearing house for ideas and innovation, and create a solid foundation upon which to build international consensus.

THE E-LEEP NETWORK:

The E-LEEP Network will use innovative methods to create synergistic relationships among the emerging generation of environmental and energy professionals in the United States, Europe, India, and China, which will create an atmosphere conducive to policy compromise and agreement. To ensure maximum effectiveness, the network recruits leading young professionals with demonstrated expertise in environmental or energy policy-making. Members will come from a variety of backgrounds, including, but not limited to: governmental agencies; private corporations; international organizations; journalists; advocacy groups; and non-profit organizations.

The primary objectives of the network will are:

• Creating an atmosphere among network members that is amenable to policy discourse, constructive criticism, and compromise;
• Keeping the issue of climate change on the top tier agenda of all major stakeholders;
• Using new technologies to continuously engage members and allowing them to drive the direction and content of the network;
• Identifying cultural and internal political realities that impact stakeholders' climate change policy, as well as potential solutions and compromises;
• Promoting self regeneration –continuously expanding the number of qualified young professionals in the network;
• Encouraging local grassroots organizing and discussion groups on both sides of the Atlantic;
• Acting as a source of collaborative policy innovation, new ideas, and best-practices clearinghouse for the future environmental and energy policy makers.

The E-LEEP Network is created for and driven by its members, enabling it to develop into a source of policy innovation, constantly modified to maximize its strategic impact and reflect ever-changing political and policy realities.